The present invention relates to a hostage negotiation system to provide secure communication between a law enforcement agent and an extortionist. More specifically, the invention relates to a hostage negotiation system including numerous covert features to provide additional information to the law enforcement agent.
Law enforcement agencies are frequently confronted with situations in which an extortionist has barricaded himself in a particular location and it is impractical for the police to enter that location for an arrest without risking the safety of hostages or those in the immediate vicinity. In this type of situation, it is oftentimes necessary for the law enforcement agency to communicate with the extortionist in order to determine the extortionist""s demands and requests.
In the past, many types of negotiation units have been used in connection with existing telephone wires to speak with the extortionist. In these types of situations, the law enforcement agency typically taps into the existing phone wires and the extortionist uses the telephone located in the building in which the hostages are being held. However, this type of hostage negotiation unit has several drawbacks, in that the communication with the extortionist may not be secure or there may not be an existing telephone in the building in which hostages are being held.
To address several of these problems, direct connected hostage negotiation systems including two telephone handsets hard wired together are used. In this type of system, one of the handsets is thrown into the building, while the second handset is retained by the law enforcement agency. Through this hard wire connection, the law enforcement agency can contact and communicate with the extortionist holding the hostages.
While this type of system has worked reasonably well, it is desired to enhance the hostage negotiation system to provide the law enforcement agency with additional information to enhance the position of the law enforcement agency in any hostage negotiation that may occur.
It is therefore a feature of the present invention to provide a hostage negotiation system having a command unit used by the law enforcement agencies that is hard wired to a throw module to be used by the extortionist. It is a further object of the invention to provide a hostage negotiation system that includes at least one covert video camera in the throw module to provide a video feed to the command unit. It is a further object of the invention to include a plurality of covert video cameras positioned in the throw module to allow law enforcement agencies to see in any direction from the throw module. It is a further object of the invention to include a covert microphone in the throw module such that law enforcement agencies at the command unit can receive audio signals from within the hostage situation without the extortionist""s knowledge. It is an additional object of the invention to provide a hostage negotiation system in which the command unit includes a computer interface that allows the hostage negotiation system to link to a computer mainframe, such as a known extortionist database.
It is a further object of the invention to provide a hostage negotiation system having an output terminal on the command unit that allows the command unit to print video images taken by the throw module. It is a further object of the invention to provide a hostage negotiation system having the capability to transmit video and audio signals from the throw module to the command unit by radio frequency, thereby eliminating the hard wire connection.
Further, it is an object of the invention to provide a covert infrared emitter contained in the handset of the throw module to give the law enforcement agency the ability to view covert video even in complete darkness. It is an additional object of the invention to include auxiliary headset connector jacks in the command unit that allows additional handsets or headsets to be connected to the command unit to allow others to monitor and/or participate in the negotiations. Still further, it is an object of the invention to include interpreter software within the command unit such that audio signals received from and sent to the throw module can be translated into different languages. It is still a further feature of the invention to incorporate a satellite link into the hostage negotiation unit to allow law enforcement agencies to link to a global positioning system and link into cellular phone and other communication methods.
It is a further object of the invention to include a locking device on the lid of the throw module, thereby preventing the extortionist from closing the throw module once it is opened. It is an additional object of the invention to include an intoxication meter within the handset of the throw module such that the intoxication meter can analyze the blood alcohol content of the extortionist and relay the information to the command module. It is a further object of the invention to include a pulse monitor within the handset of the throw module such that the law enforcement agencies can determine the relative excitement level of the extortionist. Further, it is an object of the invention to include an audio and/or video tape recorder within the command unit such that audio images received from the throw module can be recorded. Further, it is an additional object of the invention to include a video monitor incorporated directly into the command unit such that law enforcement officers can immediately view the covert video received from the throw module. Further, it is an object of the present invention to provide the possibility of connecting the command unit to existing land lines such that a third party can communicate to the handset on the throw module.
It should be understood that the numerous features identified above can be incorporated in an almost unlimited number of combinations within the hostage negotiation system, based on the desired feature required by the law enforcement agency using the unit. Additionally, it is contemplated that all of the above-identified features could be incorporated into a single hostage negotiation system suitable for use by any type of law enforcement agency. Finally, it should be understood that although the system of the invention is described as being used in a hostage negotiation situation, it could also be used in any type of crisis situation, such as with a suicidal person.
Various other features, objects and advantages of the invention will be made apparent from the following description taken together with the drawings.
The present invention is a hostage negotiation system that allows a law enforcement agency to securely communicate with an extortionist. The hostage negotiation system includes a throw module connected to a command unit by a communication cable. The throw module of the hostage negotiation system includes a communication device, such as a telephone handset that allows the extortionist to speak to a law enforcement agent positioned near the command unit through the self-contained communication system.
The throw module includes a rugged outer casing having a main body portion and a cover. The telephone handset is contained within the throw module when the cover is closed.
A covert video camera and a covert microphone are concealed behind a face plate attached to the cover of the throw module. The face plate includes a plurality of holes to disguise the location of both the covert video camera and the covert microphone. The covert video camera and the covert microphone transmit video and audio signals, respectively, to the command unit through the communication cable.
In addition to the covert video camera mounted either within the cover or the inside of the main body of the throw module, the throw module preferably includes several additional covert video cameras positioned to view outward from the side walls of the main body of the outer casing. The additional covert video cameras allow the law enforcement agency to have a nearly 360xc2x0 view of the area immediately surrounding the throw module.
The command unit of the hostage negotiation system includes a control panel that allows the law enforcement agency to control the various functions of the hostage negotiation system. The control panel of the command unit includes a covert video jack and a covert audio jack such that the covert audio and video signals can be output to an external monitor. Through the external monitor, the law enforcement agency can monitor the immediate area surrounding the throw module without the extortionist""s knowledge. Additionally, a communication port allows others besides the primary negotiator to listen to the conversation between the negotiator and the extortionist.
The command unit further includes a conventional telephone dialing pad, a telephone handset, and output connection such that the command unit can be connected to conventional commercial telephone wires and act as a conventional telephone. In this manner, the command unit can be used to communicate with the extortionist through standard telephone lines.
In addition to the standard features discussed above, the hostage negotiation system can include various additional components, such as an infrared emitter in the throw module handset, a pulse monitor in the handset and an intoxication meter in the handset. Further, the command unit includes a camera selector that allows the law enforcement agency to select between the plurality of individual covert video cameras contained in the throw module.